“Nothing worth fighting for ever is,” he replied softly, and I couldn’t help but agree.
125
LIZA
Ilunged at Castro, my claws slashing through the air. He dodged with surprising agility for someone his size, and I could feel the weight of his stare—a dangerous mix of fury and obsession. Sweat trickled down my brow, mingling with the coppery taste of blood on my tongue.
He growled, circling me like a predator. The air was thick with tension as I faced Castro, my heart pounding. No longer the object of his twisted obsession, I was now his enemy. He lunged at me with a roar.
Our battle began in earnest, a deadly dance of snarls, snapping teeth, and claws sinking into flesh. I could taste blood in my mouth—mine and his—as we fought with everything we had. Though my parents hadn’t been perfect, they were still my family, and Castro had torn them from me. He’d destroyed any chance I had at a normal life, and I couldn’t let him win.
It was during one particularly brutal exchange that I realized how close I was to committing murder. I didn’t know if I was capable of it, but as I looked into Castro’s hate-filled eyes, I knew there could be no peace for me, for Ty, unless he was dead. That realization both terrified and strengthened me.
He raked his claws across my side. Pain flared through me, and for a moment, I feared he might have the upper hand.
But then, echoing through the night, I heard Ty’s howl. It pierced the darkness like a beacon, and I knew that if I died here, he would die, too. I couldn’t—wouldn’t—let Castro have that power over us.
My heart thundered, a wild rhythm that matched the chaos unfolding around me. I leaped forward, my wolf form propelling me through the air, and landed on top of Castro, our snarls and growls echoing through the night. His eyes blazed with rage, but underneath it all, I could sense his shock.
For a moment, something like fear flickered in his eyes, and then he surged forward with one last desperate attempt to break free. But I was ready for him, and I used his own momentum against him, slamming him into the ground with a force that rattled my bones.
I howled, pressing my paw down on his chest and pinning him beneath me, letting him know it was over.
The look in his eyes changed then, from anger and defiance to a sort of resignation, and with a shudder, he shifted back into his human form.
“Please,” he rasped, blood staining his lips. “Don’t kill me. I swear, I’ll leave you and your family alone. You’ll never see me again.”
I stared down at him, still in my wolf form, my ears twitching as I listened to the distant howls of Ty and the others. Was it really possible that I could just let him go? That he would disappear from my life forever? The old Liza, the one who hadn’t been tormented by him, wanted to believe him and consider his plea, to give him grace and trust that this nightmare could finally be over.
The new me, though? She knew better. This wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about all the lives he’d ruined, and all thepain he’d caused. If I let him go now, who was to say he wouldn’t come back someday seeking revenge?
“Please,” he said again, tears streaming down his face. “I’ll do anything.”
I shifted, looking the man in the face. He smiled, an evil, victorious smile, believing he’d appealed to my humanity. No more. I had a mission, and I wanted it over. A growl rumbled deep within me, and before I knew what I was doing, I shifted my hand and drove my claw into his chest, piercing his heart. His eyes widened in shock, and as the life drained from his body, the realization of what I’d done hit me like a tidal wave.
Castro was dead. I was free.
The second his heart stopped beating, and the last breath gurgled out of him, a second sharp charge ripped through my head, forcing a pained howl from my lips. My vision blurred, with darkness creeping in around the edges as I struggled to maintain consciousness.
“Stay with me,” a distant voice urged, barely audible over the ringing in my ears. “You can’t give up now.”
But it was too late. The darkness swallowed me whole, and I blacked out.
The sterile scentof the hospital room greeted me when I stirred back to consciousness. The steady beeping of a heart monitor was a comforting reminder that I was alive, and I blinked my eyes open, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.
“Thank God.” Ty sounded all choked with emotion as he wiped tears from his cheeks, his relief evident. “You’re awake.”
“What happened?” I asked groggily, struggling to sit up. My body ached all over, but the pain was bearable.
“You were screaming in pain and then you blacked out,” he explained, concern etched on his face. “We got you here as fast as we could.”
“Is Castro...” I trailed off, unsure if I wanted to know the answer.
Liam stepped forward, a somber look in his eyes. “He’s dead. You killed him.”
I shuddered at the thought, memories of the brutal fight replaying in my mind. Before I could dwell on it, Liam uttered the dreaded word, “Nachinat.”
Ty snarled at him, but nothing happened. There was no overwhelming urge to submit, no uncontrollable wolf instincts—just me, blinking at the men in confusion.
